AP-NW–Sports Right Now/783
INDIANS-MARINERS
Walker dominant with 11 Ks, Seattle beats Cleveland 5-0
SEATTLE (AP) — Taijuan Walker returned to his early season form throwing eight innings and tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts, and Chris Iannetta provided the offense with two home runs in the Seattle Mariners’ 5-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night.
Walker (3-6) was dominant, allowing three hits and winning for the first time since April 25. Walker had lost his previous six decisions after beginning the year 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in the first month of the season. Walker faced only one jam in the fourth inning with runners on second and third and two outs, but struck out Lonnie Chisenhall to end the threat.
Iannetta hit a two-run homer in the third inning, added a solo shot in the fifth off Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (2-1) and had an RBI double in the seventh. It was the second career multi-homer game for Iannetta, the previous coming in 2011 when he was playing for Colorado.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS-10K
Cheserek wins 10,000-meter title at the NCAA championships
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Edward Cheserek found another gear and added to his large championship collection.
The Oregon junior’s signature kick on the final lap of the men’s 10,000 meters Wednesday night helped him to his 14th NCAA title.
Cheserek picked up the pace with about 250 meters to go to pull away from five other runners and win the 6.2-mile race in 29 minutes, 9.57 seconds.
Northern Arizona’s Futsum Zienasellassie was second in 29:10.68.
It was Cheserek’s third straight national title at that distance. He’ll go for two in a row in the 5,000 on Friday.
Cheserek’s win got 10 team points for Oregon, the two-time defending national champion.
ADIDAS-SPELLING ERROR
Adidas misspells Colombia in Copa America ads
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Adidas is apologizing after misspelling Colombia in advertisements featuring the team in new jerseys for the Copa America tournament.
The ads, which showed Colombian players in the home white jerseys, were pulled by Adidas after social media widely ridiculed he company for spelling the country “Columbia.”
The company, which has its North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon, said in a statement Tuesday: “We value our partnership with the Colombian Football Federation and apologize for our mistake. We removed these graphics and are quickly installing new versions today.”
Adidas has provided the uniforms for the Colombian national team since 2011.
Colombia, ranked Number 3 in the world, defeated Paraguay 2-1 on Tuesday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Colombians also shut out the United States 2-0 in the opening match of the 16-nation tournament.
SHARAPOVA-NIKE
Nike ‘will continue to partner’ with Sharapova despite ban
NEW YORK (AP) — Nike says it “will continue to partner” with Maria Sharapova, despite her two-year suspension for failing a drug test.
The sportswear giant said in a statement Wednesday: “We hope to see Maria back on court.”
Sharapova was punished by a three-person Tennis Anti-Doping Program tribunal appointed by the International Tennis Federation, which concluded she took meldonium “for the purpose of enhancing her performance.” She had been taking it since 2006.
Meldonium was banned as of January 1st. Sharapova tested positive at the Australian Open on January 26th, and said later she didn’t know the substance was newly banned.
In March, when Sharapova announced she failed a drug test, Nike said it had “decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues” but that it would “monitor the situation.”
HOPE SOLO-APPEAL DENIED
Appeals court denies Hope Solo’s bid to avoid trial
(Information in the following story is from: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, http://www.seattlepi.com/)
SEATTLE (AP) — A state appeals court has rejected U.S. women’s soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo’s request to avoid trial on misdemeanor domestic violence charges.
Seattlepi.com reports the 34-year-old’s appeal related to a 2014 incident at her sister’s home in suburban Seattle was denied in a Tuesday ruling.
Solo was accused of being intoxicated and assaulting her sister and 17-year-old nephew in the incident. Her lawyer has said Solo was a victim in the altercation.
The case has bounced between the city of Kirkland and King County courts and is currently back in city court, where Solo had asked for a review.
The appeals court denied the review, essentially upholding the county court’s ruling.
It’s unclear whether Solo will ask the state Supreme Court to review the appeals court decision.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
